Happy New Year: Welcome to 1862!

Photo taken on the set of Gods and Generals, 2001. (vws)

School exams prevent me from posting through January 11, 2012.  I'll be back in action shortly after that, though.

Warm wishes for a Happy New Year!  Thank you to all who have visited this blog over the past five months.  Over the past week, I've had a couple of very encouraging conversations with various people in Lancaster that have made me feel like there is great potential and appetite for a mini-renaissance in local Civil War history. 

Looking forward to the next year, in 2012/1862 the military operations get much more interesting and the suffering will result in more serious challenges–practical and philosophical–for the Lancaster community. Some of the more interesting episodes include:

• The 1862 Lutheran General Synod convention in Lancaster which addressed the war and slavery
• The advent of the draft 
• Dramatic highs and lows for the Army of the Ohio
• The 1862 Congressional election (Thaddeus Stevens was the Republican candidate)
• The Battle of Perryville and its aftermath for Lancaster. 

Unfortunately, due to studying for school exams, I'll start off the year slow by taking a break through January 11.  I have about three or four dozen ideas for posts in my head (in addition to a backlog of events from late 1861), so check back in ten days to find out what's going on in the streets of Lancaster and along the banks of the Green River.